Electrical system for automotive vehicles



March 22,1927. 1,622,154

. c. F. KETTERING ET AL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed July I 1923 ENG/NE ENG/NE .ZZZZ 1755555 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. KETTERING AND JOHN H. HUNT, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO GEN- ERAL MOTORS RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEI -TICLES.

Application filed July 16, 1923. Serial No. 651,709.

This invention relates to electrical systems for automotive vehicles and aimsto provide current for lighting and ignition without the use of a storage battery.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical system, showing the cranking device in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fi 1 the cranking device, however, being siown in inoperative position.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an internal combustion engine 20 which includes a crank shaft21, provided with a radially projecting pin 22 which is received by the spiral notch 23 in the hollow hub 24 of the starting crank 25 which normally is disconnected from the engine as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the crank shaft 21 there is loosely mounted a pulley 26 provided with a lug 27 which is received by the notch 23 of handle 25. Pulley 26 is connected by belt 28 with pulley 29 which drives a permanent magnet D. C. generator 30 having-a shaft 31. This generator may be termed an auxiliary generator, and is provided with terminals 32 and 33. As shown in Fig. 1 when the crank is moved toward the engine the notch 23 will receive both the 'pin 22 andv the lug 27, thereby connecting the crank 25 with the auxiliary enerator 30. \Vhen the engine becomes sel -operative the crank 25 will be automatically moved out of driving engagement with the pin 22 and the pulley 26 will be automatically disconnected from the hub 24 of crank 25 thereby disconnecting the generator 30 from said crank.

The main generator40 includes brushes 41 and 42 connected respectively. with wires 43 and 44 which in turn are connected with the shunt tieid winding 45 and the ground 46 respectively. The dynamo shunt field excitation is controlled by a regulator including an electromagnet 50 which is connected across the brushes 41 and 42, and which is adapted to attract an armature 51 against the tension of a spring 52 when the voltage across the brush exceeds a certain amount. The regulator contacts 53 and 54 are connected respectively with the shunt field 45 and with the ground, the contact 54 being separated from the contact 53 by the movement of the armature 51 toward the magnet 50. A resistance element 55 is connected in shunt with the contacts 53 and 54. WVhen the voltage between the brushes 41 and 42 exceeds a certain amount the armature 51 will be attracted to separate the contacts 53 and 54 and to insert the resistance element 55 operative to reduce the current in the shunt field side 45. The field excitation and consequently the dynamo voltage is regulated in the usual manner of the regular dynamo regulators. The dynamo 40 is driven by the engine through mechanical connections not shown.

Ignition for the engine is provided by means of apparatus including an ignition coil having a primary and a secondary 61 connected respectively with a timer 62' and a distributor 63. A switch 64 is adapted to connect the primary 60 with the wire 43. The auxiliary dynamo terminal 32 is connected with a movable plate 65 having a contact 66 adapted to engage with the contact 67 connected with round. The plate 65 may be carried by t e frame and insulated therefrom in any suitable manner.

This plate has an insulated end 68 which is adapted to be engaged by a circumferential flange 69 formed on the crank 25. Vhen said crank is moved into engagement with the pin 22 and lug 27 the plate 65 operated to cause the contact 66 to be moved out of engagement with the stationary contact 67.-

When the crank handle 25 is in the position as shown in Fig. 1, it will engage the engine and the auxiliary dynamo so that rotating .the crank will operate both the engine and the dynamo. Thus current will flow from the brush 41 of the main generator 40 through wire 43, shunt field 45, across contacts 53 and 54 to the auxiliary dynamo terminal 32 thence through this machine to the terminal 33 and back to the brush 42 by way of ground 46. Current flowing from the brush 41 through wire 43 will, after the switch .64 has been closed flow across this switch through the primary 60 across the timer 62 back to the brush 42 46 to brush 42 through the machine to the brush 41, wire 43, through shunt field 45 across contacts 53 and 54 to the opposite ter-. minal 32 of the auxiliary dynamo 30. This,

boosting of the main generator 40 will cause the same to deliver sutl'icient current to the primary 60 at hand cranking speeds for providing sparking impulses for the enginc 20.

The current from the auxiliary generator will cause the main generator to build up at once without the usual time lag which would be very objectionable when hand cranking the engine.

Now as soon as the engine becomes selfoperating the auxiliary dynamo 30 is ordinarily disconnected from the crank by means of the shifting or moving out of the crank handle 55 from engagement with the lug 27 and pin 22. This will also permit the plate 65 to resume its normal position where the contact 66 will engage with the contact 67 thus the current from the shunt field will fiow across the contacts 53 and 54 to the plate 65 thence across contacts 66 and 67 back to the main generator via the ground 46.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connecting with the engine of a suitable starting device such as a hand crank automatically connects the auxiliarydynamo with said crank so that the crank may drive said dynamo for the purpose of a ding its current to the main generator 40 or as is termed, boosting said generator so that the current thereof is sufficient at the rate of which this dynamo is being rotated to provide i nition for the engine while it is being cran (ed.

The movement of the starting crank in this driving engagement with the engine causes the circuits to be arranged whereby the auxiliary dynamo is connected with the main generator to boost the same so that this main generator can supply current to thedgnition apparatus sufficient for engine ignition. When the engine becomes selfoperative this dynamo is automatically disconnected from the crank and circuits are automatically returned to normal in which the dynamo is disconnected from the main generator. The speed at which the engine when self-operating drives the main generator is suflicient to cause this main generator to provide current to the ignition apparatus.

In the two figures shown the wire 43 which carries current from the main gen-' erator 40 has work devices such as electric lamps 70 connected thereto.

The present invention is adapted particularly for automotive vehicles where it is desirable to eliminate the storage battery, such as commercial vehicles using engines which can be readily cranked bvhand. The regulation of the voltage of the dynamo 40 is provided by means of the voltage regu lator shown in the drawingsin order that the ignition and lighting currents may be substantially uniform over a wide range of engine speeds.

It is apparent that the present invention is not limited in its use to automotive electric systems where a storage battery is not used, but may also be used in systems where a starting electric motor is used to crank the engine, the motor being operated by the v current from the storage battery which is charged by the main generator. It happens sometimes that a storage battery is inadequate to supply current for starting and for ignition purposes, hence hand cranking must be resorted to. Under these circumstances, the present invention can be used advantageously.

While the form of embodiment of the invention, as described constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the. scope of the claims which follow.

"What we claim is as follows:

7 1. An ignition device for internal-combustion engines, comprising in combination, an engine, a main generator driven by said engine; an auxiliary. generator; a crank for cranking the engine; and means for connect ving the auxihary generator with the crank and for arranging electrical circuits, whereby, only during the time the engine is being cranked, the auxiliary generator will be operated to supply current to the main generator for boosting the [same to provide suflicient current for ignition purposes.

2. An ignition device for internal-combustion engines, comprising in combination, an engine, a main generator driven by the engine; an auxiliary generator; a crank for cranking the engine; and means for connecting the auxiliary generator mechanically with the crank and electrically with the field circuit of the main generator in such a manner that only during the time the engine is being cranked the auxiliary generator will be operated to supply current to the field of the main generator for boosting the same to increase its current output for ignition purposes.

3. An electrical system comprising the combination with an internal combustion engine; of amain generator driven by the engine; an auxiliary generator; ignition apparatus for the engine; a switch in circuit with the ignition apparatus and the main generator; circuit arranging means operable to one position for completing the circuit connecting the auxiliary generator with the main generator to permit current from the auxiliary generator to flow to the main generator, and operable to another po-- sition for controlling the circuit to prevent current from the auxiliary generator to flow to the main generator; and means adapted to operate concurrently the engine and the auxiliary generator and for operating said circuit arranging means to the first position for starting purposes only, or for continuing the operation of the auxiliary generator and moving the circuit arranging means into the second position after the engine has become self-operative.

4. An electrical system comprising the combination with an internal combustionengine; of a. main generator driven by the en-' gine; an auxiliary generator; ignition apparatus for the engine; an electric switch normally closed; means for cranking the engine including a part movable into driving engagement with the engine; and the driving connections of .the auxiliary dynamo and adapted to open the switch whereby said dynamo will supply current to the main generator to boost the same for providing ignition during the cranking operation.

An electrical system comprising the combination with an internal combustion engine; of a main generator driven by theerigine; an auxiliary generator operable for boosting the main generator during the cranking of the engine; and meansoperable automatically upon the engine becoming self-operative for discontinuing the operation of the auxiliary generator and for short circuiting the auxiliary generator.

6. An ignition device -for internal-combustion engines, comprising in combination, an engine including a crankshaft; a main generator driven by the engine an auxiliary generator including circuit arrangements adapted to boost the main generator; a pul ley loosely mounted on the crankshaft; a connecting belt between the pulley' and the auxiliary generator; and a cranking handle adapted to be moved intoengage'ment 'with the crankshaft and pulley whereby the crankshaftand pulley may be rotated simultaneously to crank the engine and operate the auxiliary generator to boost the main generator for providing ignition for the engine. Y

7. An ignition device for internal combustion engines, comprising in combination, a main generator driven by the engine; a switch normally grounding one side of said main generator; an auxiliary generator having its one terminal connected to ground and its other terminal connected to said switch;

a crank for cranking the engine and means 

